The need-to-know information for Ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil)
Ibuprofen
Pearls and Fun Nuggets
1. Ibuprofen was discovered while trying to find a safer alternative to Aspirin💊 It was derived from propionic acid by the research arm of Boots Group during the 1960s.[55][10][56] It was discovered by a team led by Stewart Adams and the patent application was filed in 1961.[10] Adams initially tested the drug as treatment for his hangover.[57]
2. Don’t take it with alcohol 🍻 Drinking alcohol when taking ibuprofen may increase the risk of stomach bleeding.[35]
3. Too much ibuprofen could be bad for your heart 💔 Along with several other NSAIDs, chronic ibuprofen use has been found correlated with risk of hypertension[25] and myocardial infarction (heart attack),[26] particularly among those treated chronically using high doses.
4. Ibuprofen could interfere with Aspirin 🚫 According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “ibuprofen can interfere with the antiplatelet effect of low-dose aspirin, potentially rendering aspirin less effective when used for cardioprotection and stroke prevention.” Allowing sufficient time between doses of ibuprofen and immediate-release (IR) aspirin can avoid this problem.
5. Ibuprofen can be toxic 😱 Toxic effects are unlikely at doses below 100 mg/kg, but can be severe above 400 mg/kg (around 150 tablets of 200 mg units for an average man);[40] however, large doses do not indicate the clinical course is likely to be lethal.[41] A precise lethal dose is difficult to determine, as it may vary with age, weight, and concomitant conditions of the individual person.
Patient Perspectives
“I took 600 MG of this medication for a mild to moderate knee sprain, and it made it tolerable to bear weight. It reduces inflammation, which is good for minor injuries. I would highly recommend this for short term use, as it’s over the counter and not sedating. It works pretty fast, too.”
“I get varying types of headaches; migraine, stress, tension, sinus. Ibuprofen works most of the time but tends to take a while to work. And if taken on an empty stomach, will make you nauseous. I recommend using the gel-caps, as they seem to be softer on the stomach.”
“I have severe hip flexor pain, and my doctor recommended this. It did nothing for it. “
References
- Halford, GM; Lordkipanidzé, M; Watson, SP (2012). “50th anniversary of the discovery of ibuprofen: an interview with Dr Stewart Adams”. Platelets. 23 (6): 415–22. doi:10.3109/09537104.2011.632032. PMID 22098129.
- Lambert, Victoria (8 October 2007). “Dr Stewart Adams: ‘I tested ibuprofen on my hangover‘“. The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- Forman, JP; Stampfer, MJ; Curhan, GC (September 2005). “Non-narcotic analgesic dose and risk of incident hypertension in US women”. Hypertension. 46 (3): 500–7. doi:10.1161/01.HYP.0000177437.07240.70. PMID 16103274.
- Hippisley-Cox, J; Coupland, C (11 June 2005). “Risk of myocardial infarction in patients taking cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors or conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: population based nested case-control analysis”. British Medical Journal. 330 (7504): 1366. doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7504.1366. PMC 558288. PMID 15947398.
- Seifert, SA; Bronstein, AC; McGuire, T (2000). “Massive ibuprofen ingestion with survival”. Journal of Toxicology. Clinical Toxicology. 38 (1): 55–7. doi:10.1081/clt-100100917. PMID 10696926.
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